Professor Shaun Nichols - 12 March 2015 - What is the Nature of Human Morality?

Duration: 60 mins
Share this media item:
Embed this media item:


About this item
Professor Shaun Nichols - 12 March 2015 - What is the Nature of Human Morality?'s image
Description: What is the Nature of Human Morality?

Professor Shaun Nichols (Arizona)

Abstract

Prof Nichols: Philosophical observation and psychological studies indicate that people draw subtle distinctions in the normative domain. But it remains unclear exactly what gives rise to such distinctions. On one prominent approach, emotion systems trigger non-utilitarian judgments. The main alternative, inspired by Chomskyan linguistics, suggests that moral distinctions derive from an innate moral grammar. We develop a rational learning account. We argue that the “size principle”, which is implicated in word learning (Xu & Tenenbaum 2007), can also explain how children would use scant and equivocal evidence to interpret candidate rules as applying more narrowly than utilitarian rules.


Shaun Nichols is a Professor of Philosophy at the University of Arizona. A pioneer of the emerging discipline of ‘experimental philosophy’, Prof Nichols is interested in the psychological processes underlying our everyday moral intuitions, moral reasoning and moral decision-making – and in how understanding these processes can shed light on classic and contemporary questions in morality and ethics. More specifically, his research has brought an empirically-informed lens to bear on a range of philosophical questions including free will, moral responsibility and blameworthiness, and notions of self and personal identity. He is author of three edited volumes and two books (Sentimental Rules and Mindreading), and has been published in such prestigious journals as Mind and Language and the Journal of Philosophy.
 
Created: 2015-03-17 08:55
Collection: Moral Psychology Research Group
Publisher: University of Cambridge
Copyright: Glenn Jobson
Language: eng (English)
Keywords: CRASSH; Moral Psychology; Shaun Nichols;
 
Abstract: What is the Nature of Human Morality?

Professor Shaun Nichols (Arizona)

Abstract

Prof Nichols: Philosophical observation and psychological studies indicate that people draw subtle distinctions in the normative domain. But it remains unclear exactly what gives rise to such distinctions. On one prominent approach, emotion systems trigger non-utilitarian judgments. The main alternative, inspired by Chomskyan linguistics, suggests that moral distinctions derive from an innate moral grammar. We develop a rational learning account. We argue that the “size principle”, which is implicated in word learning (Xu & Tenenbaum 2007), can also explain how children would use scant and equivocal evidence to interpret candidate rules as applying more narrowly than utilitarian rules.


Shaun Nichols is a Professor of Philosophy at the University of Arizona. A pioneer of the emerging discipline of ‘experimental philosophy’, Prof Nichols is interested in the psychological processes underlying our everyday moral intuitions, moral reasoning and moral decision-making – and in how understanding these processes can shed light on classic and contemporary questions in morality and ethics. More specifically, his research has brought an empirically-informed lens to bear on a range of philosophical questions including free will, moral responsibility and blameworthiness, and notions of self and personal identity. He is author of three edited volumes and two books (Sentimental Rules and Mindreading), and has been published in such prestigious journals as Mind and Language and the Journal of Philosophy.
Available Formats
Format Quality Bitrate Size
MPEG-4 Video 1280x720    2.95 Mbits/sec 1.30 GB View Download
MPEG-4 Video 640x360    1.75 Mbits/sec 790.90 MB View Download
WebM 1280x720    1.85 Mbits/sec 832.84 MB View Download
WebM 640x360    608.87 kbits/sec 267.57 MB View Download
iPod Video 480x270    497.89 kbits/sec 218.80 MB View Download
MP3 44100 Hz 252.63 kbits/sec 111.02 MB Listen Download
Auto * (Allows browser to choose a format it supports)